Latest News

24 May 2018

After a consultation late last year, which elicited more than 2,000 responses and which we responded to, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has now laid down his final plans aimed at tackling the capital's housing crisis.
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22 May 2018

On Monday, 21 May 2018, the Tenant Fees Bill had its Second Reading in the House of Commons.
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Gas safety advice from London Fire Brigade

Thursday 17 August 2017

ARLA Propertymark has recently been contacted by Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner for Inner west London. The Coroner has examined a case of a woman whose death was caused by an explosion in her flat which resulted from a broken gas pipe below the kitchen floor.

Evidence included details of a dispute between the tenants and the freeholders’ management company. The management company had organised for an independent surveyor to attend the flat in preparation for court action. The independent surveyor’s report detailed extensive work required on the flat and made it clear that the work was the responsibility of the tenants.

While the Coroner’s report states that there is no criticism of the managing agents, it has drawn our attention to advice from London Fire Brigade that agents should be aware of the opportunity to raise a safeguarding alert with local fire services in the event of concerns about the condition of residential property.

“Essentially there was an opportunity for the managing agents to raise a safeguarding alert relating to gas and electricity supply, the property’s structure, excessive hoarding, possible vermin infestation and black mould. The alert could have been made under the Care Act 2014. There is no criticism of the the managing agents.

They acted entirely within the correct legal framework. They were simply unaware of this possible route of raising a safeguarding alert to Environmental Health, the National Grid or London Fire Brigade. The care Act does not impose a legal duty on private sector managing agents (or landlords themselves).”

Latest News

24 May 2018

After a consultation late last year, which elicited more than 2,000 responses and which we responded to, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has now laid down his final plans aimed at tackling the capital's housing crisis.
Read More...